Brazilian fisherman survives 11 days in shark-infested waters inside a freezer

He kept cool under pressure.

A Brazilian fisherman miraculously survived 11 days at sea in shark-infested waters by floating inside of a freezer after his boat sank, according to reports.

Romualdo Macedo Rodrigues’ vessel began taking on water while he was traveling in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of northern Brazil — and then it started sinking.

He frantically climbed inside of an oversized freezer and floated inside the appliance for 11 days until another boat picked him up off the coast of Suriname, according to CNN.

Brazilian fisherman survived 11 days at sea in a floating freezer after his boat sank.
The Brazilian fisherman survived 11 days at sea in a floating freezer after his boat sank.
Rodrigues was eventually rescued by a boat off the coast of Suriname.
Rodrigues was eventually rescued by a boat off the coast of Suriname.

“I was desperate,” Rodrigues told Record TV, CNN reported. “I thought my end was coming. But thank God, God gave me one more chance.”

Rodrigues, who doesn’t know how to swim, said he noticed that the freezer was bobbing in the water as the rest of the boat slipped out of sight.

“I jumped inside it, it fell to one side and kept normal,” he said.

Rodrigues had to survive shark-infested waters while also not knowing how to swim.
Rodrigues had to survive shark-infested waters while also not knowing how to swim.
The fisherman said he spent the time praying and thinking about his family.
The fisherman said he spent the time praying and thinking about his family.

Rodrigues said sharks circled the freezer but never attacked — and that he had to scoop out water with his hands whenever it began to fill up.

“I didn’t sleep,” he said. “I saw the dawn, the dusk, asking God to send someone to rescue me. I was thinking about my kids, my wife. Every day I was thinking about my mother, my father, all my family. It gave me hope.”

Just as his fight for survival began to fade, the boat arrived and saved him.

Rodrigues called the freezer "God in his life" and a miracle.
Rodrigues called the freezer “God in his life” and a miracle.

“I raised my arms and asked for help,” he said. “That freezer was God in my life. The only thing I had was the freezer. It was a miracle.”

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